1991 apparently. https://vintagelasvegas.com/post/715631126206709760/1991 I visited the weekend of April 27-28, 1991, and I thought I remembered being disappointed by the new font, although I was completely transfixed by the sign generally.
This is my favorite thread on the board. Keep these pictures coming. All this was well before my time. I love going to Vegas but I think we can all agree that today it's just one step below Disney World. I would love to have experienced the old Vegas. My dad has told me a story about going out there in the 1970s for a big business convention. They went to see Wayne Newton one night, and when he heard there were a bunch of crackers from Georgia in attendance he sang Dixie. Place went wild.
I can definitely vouch for those 1/2 rack pork ribs at the Westward Ho. I used to have them all the time. They had a deal at lunch where you could get those, a bag of chips, huge pickle and a bottle of Heineken for &5.95. Good times…
They had the most comfortable BJ chairs that I've ever encountered. During the remodel the BJ tables got brand new white faux leather seats with really high backs that were incredibly comfortable. Thats the one memory of the GN that I have from that era. Good stuff...
It still feels a bit odd to me that I have been going to vegas long enough (20 years) that pics form some of my early trips are vintage now
Ahhhhh, the Wayward Ho. My favorite part of that sign is "Las Vegas's Best Buffet." Even by Vegas standards that was stretching the truth. My memory is that it was one of the smallest and saddest buffets in town.
I've thought that myself. My wife and I honeymooned at the old Sahara in 2005 and I took this photo. Pert near nothin' is this photo is still standing.
I found this on "another network" the other day, captioned "Las Vegas Strip in 1947." No further description was included. From what I can tell, it's looking north(east) towards "the city", with the prominent intersection being what will be Las Vegas Boulevard and the (dirt/gravel) road, that will be Sahara. The complex appears to be the (original) El Rancho (no connection to the 70s-90s El Rancho on the east side of the Strip), which would have been in its heyday at the time. The architecture looks like the surface photos of the El Rancho but I can't find the iconic tower with the wind vane. Any other comments/speculation?
I’m pretty sure you’re correct; it sure looks like El Rancho Vegas. Like you mentioned, architecture and bridal paths are good indicators. If you look real close at the middle of the far left you can see a small windmill tower. My guess is it’s all the way back there for some kind of a rear entrance. The only other thing that might be possible is that the big property in the foreground is the New Frontier and the cluster farther north is El Rancho Vegas, but that looks kind of small to be a resort.
I started thinking about this (to question is the answer, right?) as I was watching the last of the Weasels totally obliterating Iowegia, and I found this image (my guess is ca. 1950s sometime) which looks like it's taken on the west side of the highway, and shows the perspective of the sign, the pool area, the main buildings, and yes, the tower of the original El Rancho. I can clearly see the pool area in the "1947" photo (hold that thought on the quotes) plus the grassy area in front of the pool, and the main buildings, all where they are in the 1950s photo. Therefore, in my not so humble opinion, this is a photo of the old El Rancho. That yellow awning would cover the driveway behind the pool, possibly leading to a porte cochere to the left. What's missing in the "1947" photo are the sign (I sure don't see it in in front of the pool area) and the tower, which would be on the main buildings to the west of the pool. I'm wondering if this photo is NOT 1947, but an earlier photo, say, maybe 1943-44 or so, and the tower, sign, awning, etc. were added between the dates of the photos. (You may now release that thought.) In 1947 (postwar) I would expect to see more building up and out of the city, and I really am not seeing it, so thinking critically about this, I would have to date the photo to the early 1940s. The only real landmark I see in the photo is the Strip itself, and the road that I believe would eventually be Sahara. Oh well ...
That’s definitely Sahara Avenue that is angled when it crosses LVB. It kind of looks like that is the Sahara across LVB just starting construction which would date the photo to the early 50s. BUT…. I just found this pic which, when compared to the earlier photo, pretty much nails it as El Rancho Vegas. https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-air-conditioned-cowboy-el-rancho/
